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Linder, R - Poison sumac

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Saved by PBworks
on March 6, 2008 at 12:42:11 pm
 

 

Poison Sumac

Toxicondendron vernix

 

If I had to take a guess, I would say that just about everyone reading this has come into contact with Poison Ivy at least once in his or her lifetime; but, I’m sure only a handful of you have had the pleasure of bumping into a pleasant Poison Sumac plant. And I’m sure that some of you have even bumped into it and didn’t even know.

 

Poison Sumac, Toxicondendron vernix, is the rarest of the Toxicondendron genus which includes poison ivy and poison sumac. It is native to North America. Poison Sumac is the rarest of the three because it can only thrive in areas that are very wet and warm; it would be classified as noninvasive due to its rarity. Some common locations of Poison Sumac would include the Mississippi River banks and the Florida Wetlands. More broad locations of Poison Sumac would include the East Coast of the United States, all the way up to Quebec, and then across to the far eastern portion of Texas.

 

     

 

 

Poison Sumac is the only actual tree of its genus. In a mature state, it can grow anywhere between six and 20 feet. Each stem of the tree usually consists of seven to 13 smooth leaves. The stem is hairless and is almost always a red color. During the spring, Poison Sumac will grow somewhat unattractive but sweet-smelling flowers. After the flowering period, a fruit is grown. These fruits are white, yellowish, grayish, berries that are arranged in a cluster formation. It follows an annual plant life form.

 

Poison Sumac is the only actual tree of its genus. In a mature state, it can grow anywhere between six and 20 feet. Each stem of the tree usually consists of seven to 13 smooth leaves. The stem is hairless and is almost always a red color. During the spring, Poison Sumac will grow somewhat unattractive but sweet-smelling flowers. After the flowering period, a fruit is grown. These fruits are white, yellowish, grayish, berries that are arranged in a cluster formation.

 

What a lot of people don’t generally know is that Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac all give humans the exact same type of rash. This rash is caused by a lacquer-like resin in their sap known as urushiol. This is a highly potent substance. For instance, only one nanogram of urushiol is needed to cause a rash on a person, and only ¼ ounce total is needed to give a rash to everyone on earth. That is simply amazing! It’s extremely resilient as well. On average, urushiol can survive on a dead plant for almost five years. (An interesting fact is that most animals are not affected by the urushiol oil in the Poison Sumac plant. Only some of the higher primates have shown to be allergic.)

 

Now some of you may wonder, “What should I do if I come into contact with Poison Sumac?” Well to start things off, if you came into contact with an undamaged leaf or stem, you’re fine, but in all reality there is rarely an undamaged leaf or stem. Now first, do NOT rub your skin where the contact was made. This will rub in the oil and you will not be happy with yourself the next day. Second, try to rinse your hands with a rubbing alcohol or diluted bleach solution. This will remove all the oils from your hands. Next, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and preferably cold water and then shower as usual. But sometimes there’s nothing you can do to avoid it - within 12-48 hours after contact, redness and swelling will come. Blisters and swelling should follow. If this happens, there are several ways to easily treat the rash. First, you should ice the irritation to prevent swelling and oozing. You can also apply Calamine lotion to reduce the itch and absorb the oils. Oatmeal baths and oral antihistamines have also been known to help. In very severe cases, you should consult a physician.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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